Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Apple postpones release of iTunes 11

iTunes

Apple has pushed back the release of iTunes 11 to November.

The updated version of the company's music software was announced in September 2012 and was initially given an October release date but Apple "wanted to take a little extra time to get it right".

By: Philippa Warr, Edited by: Olivia Solon

Continue reading...

Source: http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-10/31/itunes-postponed

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Android 4.1 Jelly Bean: When is it coming to my phone?

UPDATED: HTC One X upgraded
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean: When is it coming to my phone?  . Phones, Tablets, Google, Ice Cream Sandwich, Motorola, LG, Samsung, HTC, Sony Ericsson, ZTE, Huawei, Inq, Dell, Acer, Viewsonic, Features, Sony, Jelly Bean, Samsung Galaxy S III, Motorola Razr, Samsung Galaxy Note, Asus Transformer Prime, Asus Transformer Pad Infinity, Archos 0

Google has announced the launch of the latest version of Android: Google Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, in San Francisco as part of the Google I/O event on Wednesday.

That’s all very well and good, but when is it coming to your Android smartphone? Will the smartphone in your hands be getting an upgrade to enjoy some of the new features such as Google Now or the new camera app?

Google on Jelly Bean

Google has said the aim is to get the Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus and Motorola Xoom running Android 4.1 in mid-July 2012. It will release the Google Android 4.1 Jelly Bean SDK to manufacturers at the same time meaning companies like Sony Mobile, HTC and others, can start porting the new mobile operating system to their own devices.

UPDATE 11 July: Google has started to roll-out Jelly Bean OTA to the Galaxy Nexus with the HSPA+ model getting it first. The rest of the Galaxy Nexus handsets, Nexus S and Motorola Xoom tablets will soon follow. Naturally, the Google Nexus 7 will sport Jelly Bean from the box on its launch later in July.

UPDATE 20 July: Google has stated the following via the @GoogleNexus Twitter account:

"We've started rolling out Android 4.1, Jelly Bean, to Nexus S phones on a number of carriers with more to come. Enjoy!?http://t.co/yuuDvk6K"

UPDATE: 28 July: Google has stated the following via the @Android Twitter account:

"We've started rolling out Android 4.1 Jelly Bean to Motorola Xoom Wi-Fi tablets. Enjoy the tasty update!"

Samsung?on Jelly Bean

Samsung users using the Galaxy Nexus or Nexus S will get an over the air update in mid-July. Exact details have yet to be confirmed. Samsung has yet to confirm whether other devices like the?Samsung Galaxy S III?will be getting Jelly Bean. We've contacted Samsung and are awaiting its comment as to its update schedule.?

UPDATE 28 June:?Samsung has issued Pocket-lint the following statement:

“In the case that a new version of an Android operating system is publicly?announced and released, Samsung will review the possibility of? implementation to existing Samsung products with the Android operating system (“Update”). Such a review will be based on various factors including, the overall effect of the update to Samsung products, the system requirements, the structural limitations, and the level of cooperation from the component suppliers and the software licensors. If Samsung decides to make the update available to the users it will be released upon successful completion of development.”

UPDATE 29 June: Samsung Mobile US has issued a separate statement that cross checks the Samsung Galaxy S III?and Samsung Galaxy Note:

"Samsung will soon announce which additional devices are eligible for the Jelly Bean update. As the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer, Samsung leads the Android community with best-in-class devices like the Galaxy S III, and is creating new device categories with products like the Galaxy Note. Samsung has delivered the most Nexus-branded lead OS devices and we are pleased that Google will be bringing Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S customers the first experiences of Jelly Bean on a handheld device."

UPDATE 24 July: Though there's no confirmation from Samsung themselves, speculation is mounting that not only will the Samsung Galaxy S III receive an Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update, but so will it's predecessor the Samsung Galaxy S II.

UPDATE 7 August: Further speculation that both the Samsung Galaxy S III and its predecessor the Galaxy S II will be getting a Jelly Bean update. However, that's not all, with speculation mounting that the hugely popular Samsung Galaxy Note will also receive the update. Should Samsung encounter any problems with either handset then customers will receive a "value pack" that provides some of the features found on Jelly Bean.

We're still waiting for confirmation as to whether the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 will be rolled out with Jelly Bean when it's unveiled on 29 August, but if not at launch expect an update in the following months.

UPDATE 17 August: The 29 August is being touted as a possible arrival date for Jelly Bean on the Samsung Galaxy S III after a video demoing the OS appeared online. No official word from Samsung yet.

UPDATE 3 September: During European consumer electronics show IFA in Berlin, multiple sources claimed that the Samsung Galaxy S3 would be getting the Jelly Bean update "very shortly" furthermore a SGS3 was spotted on the Vodafone booth running Android 4.1 suggesting that an official update is almost here.

UPDATE 24 September: The Android 4.1.1 update has started to roll-out for Polish Samsung Galaxy S IIIs. This means it's bound to be around the corner for the rest of Europe.

UPDATE 18 October: Samsung UK has confirmed that the update for the Samsung Galaxy S III will be arriving in the "coming weeks". Three was early to push the update, closely followed by Vodafone.

UPDATE 26 October: The Jelly Bean update for unlocked Samsung Galaxy S III handsets has begun both OTA and via Kies.

Motorola on Jelly Bean

Motorola Xoom users will also be getting Jelly Bean in mid-July. No exact details on when the over the air update will be out however, or whether the update will also come to the Motorola Xoom II. Motorola has yet to confirm if other devices like the Motorola RAZR?will be getting the Jelly Bean update.?

UPDATE 5 September: Motorola in the US has said that all new devices will be on Jelly Bean by the end of the year and that all devices launched in 2011 will be upgraded too. There are however some that won't - yes very vague isn't it. However if you want to upgrade to the new models you'll get $100 off in the US.

UPDATE 22 October: Motorola has now revealed the names of those handsets that can expect an update to Jelly Bean before 2013. They include the Motorola Droid Razr M, the Droid Razr HD, the Droid Razr Maxx HD, Droid Razr (Motorola Razr here in the UK) and the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx (Razr Maxx).

HTC on Jelly Bean?

HTC has told Pocket-lint:?"We're excited for Google's unveiling of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean today, but don't yet have an announcement about HTC devices running the new OS version. Stay tuned!"

HTC should be able to get the SDK as part of the developer preview from today, although won’t get the final version until mid-July - so don’t expect it to be soon and let's hope it comes to the HTC One series shortly.

UPDATE 20 July: HTC has confirmed to Pocket-lint that the HTC One X, One S and One XL will all be receiving an update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean though they were unable to say when.

UPDATE 10 August: We're still waiting for an upgrade to Jelly Bean for the HTC One X and it would appear we'll be waiting a little longer after HTC rolled out a "minor" update to Android 4.0.4.

UPDATE 3 September: A spokesman on the HTC stand at IFA as told Wired.co.uk that the Desire X, announced at show and expected in shops in mid-September will soon afterwards get an update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. HTC has yet to official confirm that new however.

UPDATE 2 October: The Jelly Bean update for HTC One X and HTC One S is official and will begin rolling out over October and November 2012 along with an update to the UI to bring both handsets up to HTC Sense 4+. The HTC One XL will also receive Sense 4+ but already comes with Jelly Bean out of the box. More details on the update here. More details on what HTC Sense 4+ entails here.

UPDATE 29 October:?HTC has begun rolling out Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for the HTC One X. Asia and Europe will be the first regions to receive the update, which includes an upgrade to HTC Sense 4+.

Asus on Jelly Bean

Jelly Bean Android 4.1 Jelly Bean will be available on the newly announced Google Nexus 7. It will be available in mid-July.?

UPDATE 28/06/12: We asked an Asus spokesperson for the details of Asus Jelly Bean update plans and got the following response: "No comment. But you know our record for being first with Honeycomb, with Ice Cream Sandwich and our urge to bring the best to our users."

UPDATE 29/07/12: Asus has confirmed that?the Asus Transformed Pad, Asus Transformer Pad Prime and Asus Transformer Pad Infinity will also be receiving the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update.

However, though they've said they are looking into making it available on other devices, they have so far been unable to confirm what these might be.

UPDATE 20/08/12: Asus Transformer Pad TF300 users have begun saying that they have started to receive OTA Jelly Bean updates to their device. Let us know if you're one of them and how you're finding the update.

UPDATE 26 September: The Jelly Bean update for Swedish Asus Transformer Pad Prime has now hit, and the company claims that a wider roll-out across other countries for that device and the Transformer Pad Infinity will happen "soon".

Sony Mobile and Sony Ericsson on Jelly Bean

We’ve asked Sony Mobile (Sony Ericsson) for a comment on when and if it will be bringing Android 4.1 Jelly Bean to its Xperia series. Sony Ericsson?should be able to get the SDK as part of the developer preview from today, although won’t get the final version until mid-July, so don’t expect it to be any time soon.?

UPDATE 30 July: Sony has confirmed via its Facebook that the Xperia Arc S won't be getting Android 4.0 Jelly Bean.?

"Hi?Dani, unfortunately Arc S won't be getting the Jelly Bean updated but we're always developing new phones and making sure they get the latest updates."

Sony UK also confirmed that neither will the Xperia Mini Pro:

"Unfortunately the Xperia Mini Pro will not be getting Jelly Bean :( Are you interested in any of the current Xperia range?"

The comments came via a Q&A session with UK product manager John Cooper on Facebook.?

UPDATE 19 October: Sony has confirmed that updates to Xperia T, Xperia TX and Xperia V models is coming, "mid-Q1" 2013. The?Xperia S, Xperia acro S, Xperia ion, Xperia P, Xperia go and Xperia J will be getting the Jelly Bean update, but Sony has not confirmed a date.

LG on Jelly Bean

LG has told Pocket-lint: "We'll definitely be looking at Android 4.1 when it's ready. But right now, our primary focus is still on getting ICS rolled out."?

Archos on Jelly Bean

Archos confirmed to us that the new Archos 101 XS would be getting Jelly Bean via an OTA upgrade. The target date is currently November 2012 at the latest.


Tags: Phones Tablets Google Ice Cream Sandwich Motorola LG Samsung HTC Sony Ericsson ZTE Huawei Inq Dell Acer Viewsonic Features Sony Jelly Bean Samsung Galaxy S III Motorola Razr Samsung Galaxy Note Asus Transformer Prime Asus Transformer Pad Infinity Archos

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean: When is it coming to my phone?  . Phones, Tablets, Google, Ice Cream Sandwich, Motorola, LG, Samsung, HTC, Sony Ericsson, ZTE, Huawei, Inq, Dell, Acer, Viewsonic, Features, Sony, Jelly Bean, Samsung Galaxy S III, Motorola Razr, Samsung Galaxy Note, Asus Transformer Prime, Asus Transformer Pad Infinity, Archos 0 

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean: When is it coming to my phone? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 10:56:14 +0000

Source: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/46277/jelly-bean-when-update-coming

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Samsung ATIV S pictures and hands-on

Light
Samsung ATIV S pictures and hands-on. Phones, Samsung, Samsung ATIV S, Microsoft, Windows Phone 8 0

The Samsung ATIV S, or ATIV Odyssey on Verizon, is the third Windows Phone 8 device in the family and the one that is likely to get little of the spotlight compared to the HTC 8X and the Nokia Lumia range, but that doesn't mean it should be overlooked.?

READ:?What's new in Windows Phone 8?

Available exclusively to Phones 4 U in the UK, the phone is light and large, offering a big battery to, hopefully, help you through the day. It is also one of the few WP8 smartphones that has expandable storage via an micro SD slot and a removable battery.?

We first saw it at IFA in Berlin, Germany, a couple of months ago, and now we've been able to turn the device on and have a greater play.?

Inside the 8.7mm brushed-aluminum chassis is a huge 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display made from Corning Gorilla Glass 2. It's powered by a 1.5Ghz dual-core processor, with 1GB of on-board RAM, and an 8MP autofocus rear camera and 1.9MP front-facing camera.?

Storage wise you'll get a 16GB or 32GB version and a MicroSD slot for expanded storage. Don't forget there will be SkyDrive support as well, to go one step further.

READ:?Windows Phone 8: The phones to buy

Backing all of this up is a massive 2300mAh battery to keep you rocking all day. We?are going to try to track down the phone at IFA to bring you our own batch of photos and first impressions on the device. In the meantime enjoy Microsoft's efforts of the new Samsung ATIV S. ?

Like Nokia and HTC, Samsung has pre-loaded the ATIV S with a bevy of apps to entice you over. Samsung's chat service ChatOn is there, as too is Music hub and a diary app that looks to be a bit pointless.?

Overall we suspect the ATIV S will struggle in the cool stakes against the HTC and Nokia offering, but it is light, does offer a big screen, and isn't a slouch when it comes to performance.?

?

Tags: Phones Samsung Samsung ATIV S Microsoft Windows Phone 8

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Samsung ATIV S pictures and hands-on originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 19:15:00 +0000

Source: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/48224/samsung-ativ-s-windows-phone-8-preview

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YouView update rolled out, brings with it surround sound, faster start up times and more

Pause and rewind live TV
YouView update rolled out, brings with it surround sound, faster start up times and more. Televisions, YouView, IPTV, On demand 0

YouView has begun rolling out an update that will introduce an array of new features for all of its TV set-top boxes.?

Customers will now be able to fire up their box quicker, whether in standby mode or switched off, while the auto-standby setting can be altered from two to twelve hours, depending how concerned you are with your electricity bill.?

Series' that have been recorded will now be grouped together making it easier to locate specific shows in the MyView section and the update will also introduce surround sound when the box is connected with S/PDIF.

Shows can be skipped in 60-second instalments, or rewound by 15 seconds whether watching recordings or live TV, so long as you’ve paused or rewound the show at least once.?

If you find those red button prompts annoying, they can be hidden by pressing the green button on the remote control, while the programs guides will be made crisper with the use of a bolder, stronger font.?

The update is now available on YouView’s own Humax boxes, but will be arriving on all other versions, including TalkTalk’s offering in the coming weeks.?

The YouView update should arrive automatically so long as your box is connected to the internet. Customers can check whether they’ve received the update by checking the ‘Software Version’ in the Settings menu.

YouView provides an on demand TV catch up service for channels from BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, without the need for a subscription.

Tags: Televisions YouView IPTV On demand

YouView update rolled out, brings with it surround sound, faster start up times and more. Televisions, YouView, IPTV, On demand 0  YouView update rolled out, brings with it surround sound, faster start up times and more. Televisions, YouView, IPTV, On demand 1 

YouView update rolled out, brings with it surround sound, faster start up times and more originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 31 Oct 2012 10:44:02 +0000

Source: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/48251/youview-update-rolled-out-with-new-features

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Second World War bomb found at tsunami-damaged Japanese airport

sendai airport

A US-made Second World War bomb has been unearthed near an airport runway in northern Japan that was hit by last year's tsunami -- the second such find in a week.

The 250kg bomb, which has a working detonator, was discovered at Sendai airport on the evening of 29 October, and all flights at the regional hub have since been grounded as a result. The find comes just a week after a 220kg dud bomb was uncovered in central Tokyo, prompting authorities to evacuate hundreds of residents. 

 

By: Liat Clark, Edited by: Nate Lanxon

Continue reading...

Source: http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-10/30/japan-airport-bomb

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WEBSITE OF THE DAY: Mi Adidas

From your hands to Lionel's feet
WEBSITE OF THE DAY: Mi Adidas. WebsiteOfTheDay, Websites, Software, Online 0

Say the words “my Adidas” and people of a certain age will immediately start to bob their heads and do a little Run DMC stomp as they recall the heady days of Adidas shell-toes (no laces, obvs) and thumping Eighties hip-hop.

Tweak the spelling slightly and you get miadidas.com,?then suddenly everything comes bang up to date.

Back then, customising your trainers usually involved a selection of permanent pens and a steady hand. Although to be fair, Adidas actually invented the concept of doing it yourself, long before even Run DMC were doing their thing with the Adicolour concept.

Today, it’s a bit more sophisticated. Here you can design your own Adidas trainers online to really make a statement with what you put on your feet.

As an added bonus at the moment, they’re running a competition to design Lionel Messi’s boots.

Back when Run DMC were strutting their Adidas, football boots were black with white stripes.

We’re guessing Lionel is expecting something a bit more flamboyant to come out of this enterprise.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: Mi Adidas originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 01:00:00 +0100

Source: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/48168/design-lionel-messis-football-boots

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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

HTC Sense 4.1 vs. HTC Sense 4+: What's the difference?

Reviewed in granular detail
HTC Sense 4.1 vs. HTC Sense 4+: What's the difference?. Phones, Mobile phones, HTC, HTC One X, HTC One X+, HTC Sense, Features 0

This could have been titled many different ways: HTC One X Ice Cream Sandwich vs Jelly Bean, or One X vs One X+, but we'll let you decide which best fits your requirements. Essentially, here we're looking in detail at software differences between the HTC One X and the HTC One X+.

Why? Because the software on the HTC One X+ - Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean and Sense 4+ - is what HTC One X and One S owners will get when their handset is updated. That has been confirmed to us by HTC, so we thought it only fair to put both on the bench and take a closer look. In each of the side-by-side images below, HTC Sense 4.1 is on the left and Sense 4+ is on the right.

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean arrives

Jelly Bean launched on the Nexus 7 in August 2012, and brought with it a number of new features. There was "project butter" aimed at making the whole experience smoother; Google Now, changing the way that search returned results; and improved voice recognition.

Jelly Bean also brought with it an improved, more intelligent keyboard, expandable notifications and a whole range of tweaks here and there.

READ: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean review

Of course in a device like the HTC One X, some of what Google changed - the camera for example - will never be seen, as HTC Sense heavily modifies the camera app. So let's run through what you do get from Jelly Bean first of all.

Buttery smooth

With the HTC One X and the HTC One X+ side-by-side there is a slight difference in performance when it comes to typical daily navigation. Things like opening the apps tray or a folder of shortcuts has more snap, and apps open a touch faster. Remember that there's a faster processor (1.7GHz) in the One X+, which might have some bearing here.?

READ:?HTC One X+ review

However, we couldn't say there was any difference in speed with things like Chrome, so loading up Pocket-lint.com over Wi-Fi was very much the same experience on both devices. So, we'll take a punt and say that some of the buttery richness of Jelly Bean is in evidence, but the One X on Ice Cream Sandwich is no slouch, so it isn't a huge deal.?

Searching, Google Now

Searching, however, is different, as the result are presented in a much better fashion for mobile use. One of the key differences is that Google Now presents the results on Jelly Bean rather than the browser. The results effectively contain the same information, but with Jelly Bean they generally look clearer, aside from the massive advert panel at the top that you sometimes get.

Sense 4.1?HTC Sense 4+

Of course the inclusion of Google Now is one of the big differences, and HTC hasn't touched this. Google Now replaces the Google Search app you've probably ignored, but if you have the Google search bar widget, you'll easily find yourself in Google Now on Jelly Bean and Sense 4+. If you always search in the browser bar, then you'll again miss out on the Google Now experience.

There is another trick however: a long press on the home button now takes you direct to Google Now, so you can get straight to searching. This applies?wherever?you are in the phone, either on the homepage or in apps, so you really don't need the search widget.

Google Now is something of mixed bag: it's good at some routine exercises, like indicating traffic on your daily commute, but if your life doesn't fit into the tidy parameters of Google's life supposition, it'll often just give you the weather and nothing else.

HTC Sense Google Now

But things like appointments will appear, so when you fire up a search there's additional information at your fingertips.

Voice and keyboard

Voice has a higher profile in Jelly Bean than it does in Ice Cream Sandwich and although both are very good, Jelly Bean has the slight edge in that voice recognition will stop after a lengthy pause, whereas on ICS it sometimes won't. The result is that ICS sometimes needs a few more taps and presses, such as confirming what you meant when searching, or to stop listening when dictating a message.

HTC Sense 4.1 ?HTC Sense 4+

HTC Sense 4+ offers the Jelly Bean keyboard (right) as well as the Sense keyboard (left)

An interesting differentiator between these two devices, however, is that HTC has left the Jelly Bean keyboard in place. Rather than just giving you the stock HTC keyboard, you now have the stock Android keyboard too.

It makes better use of space than HTC's equivalent, although it has to be said that the predictive engine isn't a patch on the likes of SwiftKey, so perhaps it's a moot point: both devices, in our experience, worth better with a third-party keyboard.

Sense Visuals: How does it look?

Visually, there isn't a huge difference between Sense 4.1 and Sense 4+. But there are tweaks all over the place. They're for the better too, resulting in a cleaner and brighter looking interface.

From the homescreen there's no real difference at all, and the lock screen works exactly as it did before. However, look closely at the launcher and you'll see that on Sense 4.1 it has a patterned background; in Sense 4+ it's solid. The result is less fussy and this change flows through Sense.

HTC Sense 4.1?HTC Sense 4+

Open up the apps tray and you'll find the same thing: the top and bottom bars have lost the diagonal stripe patterning, so the blacks look deeper and cleaner. The same applies to widget backgrounds and all sorts of other areas where HTC Sense has a dark background.

HTC Sense 4.1 (left) and Sense 4+ (right)

Sense has also dropped the grey lettering in many cases, so the lettering and icons shine much more than they did before. Overall it's a cleaner look all round.?

But there's another change too: the use of blue instead of green. The green highlight has been the default, but now it's blue, which is much more "Androidy". So now you'll find that tick boxes, switches and button highlights are finished in blue so Sense 4+ looks a little more like Android's neon blue, as you'll see below.

Notifications now get the expand option too. This means you can drag down your Gmail notification, for example, and either read more of the message, or see more details when you have multiple messages. As before messages can be swiped away and both features are particularly useful when accessing notifications from the lock screen, so long as you don't have security in place.

New features

There is a range of new features that arrived with Sense 4+. In messages, for example, you can now set up a secure box, where you can place messages and password protect them. In your calling history, you now have more options to sort and search, so you can find calls from particular people - although we'd argue that using the People view is probably better.?

In the People view you'll find that Jelly Bean's support for higher resolution contact images swings in. It's now much easier to change images, as you simply tap on the contact image, it expands, and you can then choose where the picture is pulled from, with thumbnails to help.

HTC Sense 4.1?HTC Sense 4+

If you have a packed calendar then there's a new scrolling feature there too. When in day view, if you scroll down a busy day packed with appointments, you'll find the text at the bottom of the page squishes in the appointment boxes, meaning you can see a little more. This is in addition to the existing pinch zooming in the calendars that you had in Sense 4.1.?

It's also faster to set your phone up, as you'll be able to do some of it from HTC's website. HTC has long been playing with website support for devices (with differing levels of success), but this seems a nice simple way to getting some of your settings arranged before your phone arrives. Whether this will be an option for those buying the HTC One X new with upgraded software, we don't know.

A big new feature is eco mode. This is an option that sits in the notification area, ready to be engaged when ever you need it. The aim, of course, is to extend the battery life. The HTC One X+ benefits anyway because it has a 2100mAh battery compared to the One X's 1800mAh cell, but it's a useful feature to have.?

Of course, in this comparison we can't say whether it's effective, as the hardware is different in our test phones, but eco mode does things like limiting the maximum brightness of the display.

Camera

The camera app has been rearranged slightly, moving some of the options to make them more immediate. Where the "switch camera" option was in the settings menu in Sense 4.1 it's now added to the sidebar options, so it's a single tap to switch to a self-portrait.?

We guess the main reason for this is that the HTC One X+ has an enhanced front-facing camera, with a self-timer option, making it better for taking those self-portraits. It actually works incredibly well, but sadly this feature isn't coming to other devices.?

HTC One X+

Elsewhere the zoom slider has moved from the bottom to the side, so it's easier to use with one hand: it was impossible to zoom when holding the phone with one hand in Sense 4.1, but you now can. That said, this is digital zoom and we'd always advise against using it.

The resolution options have also been tweaked, removing the references to megapixels and just sticking to the actual pixel dimensions and small, medium and large names. The other thing you get is a counter on the screen to show you how many more photos and how much more video you can capture.

HTC One X+

Additionally, if you put your handset into standby when you are in the camera, you'll return straight to the camera when you press the standby button again. It's an option that's knocked out if you have any sort of security in place, but is ideal if you're walking around trying to grab that perfect sightseeing photo.

Entertainment: Gallery, Music, Video

HTC Media Link HD has a higher billing in Sense 4+. Not only has it moved from a submenu to the first facing menu in settings, but it also has direct access from the apps tray. You'll need to have compatible hardware, but if you do, this will let you send content easily from your phone to play on your TV.

In the Gallery app the landing page in Sense 4+ is now an overview of photo locations. Rather than landing in your albums, it's a higher level view with instant access to online photo albums, on Facebook, SkyDrive or Picasa for example. Previously these were accessed via a drop-down menu.?

HTC Sense 4.1?HTC Sense 4+

That's a theme across Sense 4+, there are fewer drop-down menus for navigation, with more options more immediate. One of the changes that appear with this shift is that media servers is now shifted to the menu, along with a new option to "add online service". This didn't appear to do anything: we logged out of some services and this didn't appear to offer them back, so we're not sure how it will be implemented.?

There's also new map view. If you geotag your photos, you'll be able to pull up a map and view photos by location. It's a nice touch, but as we've only so far been in London, we're yet to see the full potential. You can also sort by "event" which is essentially a calendar view, although location data rolls in to identify photos. Again, our limited movement means we have a selection labelled "Surrey County" and we'll be sure to see what happens as we travel with the One X+.

HTC Sense 4+

The video player is largely the same, but the big difference, apart from moving the share option into the menu, is that you now have Beats Audio listed in the movie player, rather than "sound enhancer". It's exactly the same thing, as both engage Beats Audio enhancement when you have headphones connected.

While on video, it’s worth mentioning HTC Watch. The app now has links through to "apps" although this doesn't let you add your own apps like Music does, it's simply a selection of pre-selected apps that will provide you with video. Hit Crackle, for example and it will prompt you to download Crackle from Google Play. There's no option to add your own, like Netflix or BBC iPlayer, which would make much more sense.

HTC Sense 4.1?HTC Sense 4+

In the music player, minor tweaks see the "sound enhancer" option removed from the menu in Sense 4+, as well as the addition of a "folder" option in the dropdown menu, but the biggest difference is the removal of the "recently played" section at the bottom of the landing page.?

The Music app in Sense 4.1 and Sense 4+ acts as a hub, not only for playing your music, but also for accessing your music-related apps through one place. Removing "recently played" now gives you more immediate space, previously as you added apps this section was just pushed down the page.

That's not all on the music front however, as you now have Play Music (Google Music) installed by default, so you can use Google's approach to music from the off if you choose. Adding it to the Music hub means you have simple access to your cloud music, ready to download or stream.

Browser

The browser (called Internet in Sense 4.1, but Browser in 4+) is largely the same. Chrome came installed on the HTC One X+, which is likely to have flowed through with Jelly Bean, but Chrome works beautifully well on both Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean.

The HTC browser has had one minor tweak above and beyond the removal of the background diagonal patterns. The address bar is now slightly larger, which makes little difference, but thankfully now the tabs button shows the number of open tabs. This is also a feature of Chrome and one we like.

HTC Sense 4.1?HTC Sense 4+

However, the browser still only supports up to six tabs at any one time, whereas Chrome will support an unfeasibly large number, so Chrome gets our vote as the browser of choice. It's pretty easy to make Chrome the default browser in Sense 4+. Android will naturally give you a choice between apps and in Jelly Bean and Sense 4+, this choice box is "always" or "once only".

On Ice Cream Sandwich and Sense 4.1, because search returns your results in the browser, it naturally uses the HTC browser, without presenting a choice. So you might use Chrome for everything else, but you've never been able to easily have the phone use Chrome for search results.?

Because search works differently, with the results delivered in Google Now, clicking a link will then give you the browser choice where you can select Chrome for "always" and banish the HTC browser forever.?

Summing up

Many of the differences between Sense 4.1 and Sense 4+ are about tidying up and improving consistency. This is certainly the case for Beats labelling in apps, the change of backgrounds and the switch to using whites instead of greys for some icons. It makes everything look fresher and brighter.?

HTC Sense 4.1?HTC Sense 4+

Many of the biggest changes come thanks to native Android and the shift over to Jelly Bean is certainly a good step to make. Google Now makes search returns better, as well as enabling better access to Chrome (if that's what you want to do).?

The camera is tidier and the nod to preserving battery life shows that HTC has been listening to criticisms. There has been some tweaking to the settings menus too, and the display of the remaining battery life is now better, as it task the manager.

Overall, there's a wide range of changes. Many will go unnoticed, but the effect is that HTC Sense 4+ makes everything look cleaner, tidier and in most cases, it's faster to get to what you want, with less menu fiddling.?

HTC is yet to confirm a date for the upgrade for the HTC One X and One S, it was originally touted for October 2012 but we're yet to hear confirmation.?

READ: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean: When is it coming to my phone?

You can read our full HTC One X+ review right here.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC HTC One X HTC One X+ HTC Sense Features

HTC Sense 4.1 vs. HTC Sense 4+: What's the difference?. Phones, Mobile phones, HTC, HTC One X, HTC One X+, HTC Sense, Features 0  Sense 4.1  Sense 4+  Sense 4+  Sense 4.1  Sense 4+, Jelly Bean keyboard  Sense 4.1  Sense 4+  Sense 4.1  Sense 4+  HTC Sense 4.1 vs. HTC Sense 4+: What's the difference?. Phones, Mobile phones, HTC, HTC One X, HTC One X+, HTC Sense, Features 11  HTC Sense 4+  HTC Sense 4+ One X+  HTC Sense 4.1  HTC Sense 4+  HTC Sense 4+  HTC Sense 4.1  HTC Sense 4+  HTC Sense 4.1  HTC Sense 4+  HTC Sense 4.1  HTC Sense 4+ 

HTC Sense 4.1 vs. HTC Sense 4+: What's the difference? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 15:00:00 +0100

Source: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/48179/htc-sense-4-1-vs-sense-4-plus-reviewed

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